RAF LADIES DEVELOPMENT SQUAD – GERMANY 2009
The RAF Ladies Development Squad (RAF LDS) have recently returned from representing the RAF in the inaugural CC-Air HQ Ramstein 1st Indoor Soccer Championships. The event was attended by Air Forces of five nations including the UK, Germany, Holland, Belgium and the USA (Europe). The format of the competition saw each nation play each other twice in 2 fifteen minute games and was spread over 2 days.
Before flying out to Germany the squad met and trained at RAF Halton. This included a familiarisation with the rules of the competition and for a basic game plan to be introduced and practiced. On arrival at the military sports schule in Germany the squad were on the practice court straight away just in time to watch the German female team training. Two of the German squad are current representatives of the national team and played against England in the recent European championship final. Undaunted by their challenge ahead the RAF LDS players were looking forward to the start of the competition.
The first fixture of the competition for the LDS was against the Dutch Air Force. Both sides were pretty evenly matched for long periods of the game however the initial nerves of the competition seemed to get the better of the LDS and they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat. Within the hour the LDS were up against the competition favourites and eventual winners, the German Air Force. The skill levels of each of the German players was simply first class and the passing and movement would have been difficult for very experienced players to contend with let alone the collective inexperience of the LDS. However, the RAF maintained their work rate and effort and despite suffering a heavy defeat of 8-0 they continued to apply themselves throughout. The next fixture against the Belgian Air Component saw the RAF score their first goal from SAC Kath Heath in a game they lost 3-1 but really should have won. At this stage the teams were getting into their stride and although the RAF continued to improve in their performances this was also true of their counterparts. Further fixtures on day 1 saw the RAF lose to the USA by 4-0 and their 2nd fixture against the Dutch resulted in a 6-0 loss. The last game of the day for the RAF was once again against the Germans. Prior to this fixture the Germans had beaten the Belgians by 14-0 and were looking unstoppable. A nervy RAF side took to the court to face the Germans and although the fixture was only going to go one way they were determined not to concede to the score line the unfortunate Belgians had earlier. The last minute of the fixture was tense as the Germans had already racked up 13 goals against the RAF but they held on to concede no more in the fixture.
Day 2 dawned with many players sporting bruises, injuries and stories of if only. The first game was a rematch against the Belgians. At this stage if the RAF won the fixture they would have the opportunity of making the 3rd/4th place play off. As in the game on day 1 the RAF dominated the fixture and the improvement in their play was evident for all to see and drew many laudable comments from neutral observers. However despite their valiant effort it was the Belgians who used the early minutes of the game better and were 3-0 ahead in very short order. The continued RAF pressure eventually told when SAC Maddy Rowe completed an excellent team move with an individual piece of skill to place the ball into the Belgian net and give the RAF a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately as the RAF continued to push forward they were punished with an unexpected break from the Belgians which resulted in a score line of 4-1. Their final game against the USA was a repeat score of a 4-0 loss as it had been the day before but once again the RAF were dominant in the command of the free space and winning the ball back.
The competition was a fantastic opportunity for the RAF LDS to bond as a team and to compete against players of very high ability levels. All of the players commented on how much they had learnt from the experience and how much they had enjoyed it. For the coaching staff the transformation in the players was way above what they expected and all of the players were a credit to themselves and the RAF throughout the competition.
The awards dinner that followed saw the Germans crowned as champions and the most valuable player of the tournament go to one of the USA players. The final award was for sportsperson of the competition which was decided by a committee of referees representing each nation. The winner of the award was Cpl Angela Morgan of the RAF LDS which was fully supported by the standing ovation she received from all present.
Finally as is the tradition, an award was made by the RAF LDS Team Manager WO Mark Haining to the RAF LDS player of the tournament. Unfortunately the RAF LDS did not have the services of a dedicated goalkeeper for the tournament and volunteers had to be sought from the players who travelled. Both SAC Jessica (Chicken) Harris and SAC Hannah Booker volunteered themselves for this unenviable task and between them ensured that the score lines were kept as respectable as they were. SAC Hannah Booker was selected as the RAF LDS player of the tournament and in true sporting style accepted the award on behalf of both herself and Jess Harris.
The competition was the first of its kind in over 30 years of the European Air Forces taking part in a series of sporting competitions and a variety of sports. All participants and organisers agreed that the competition had been a huge success and the next indoor soccer championship is already being planned for 2 years time with Holland being a likely venue.